Crows on Fire
by Bastas Babe
Summary: Gabriella has made a mistake and has shown the world what she is: a witch. Having the power to control fire -- Gabe runs off to find somewhere she can live in peace and where the police can not capture her. o.O One of my first so bad at this XD
1. Blue Windows

Crows on Fire

Walking through the streets, Gabriella thought about her money issues. Since she had been chased out of her home for having, what her parents called, witch blood, she had little money to spend; and being a sixteen year old girl who loves food, had caused a dramatic problem.

Food was really the only problem. She, being a pyrokinesis, had warmth, the clothes on her back, and she could easily enough from water from a lake or stream, but food cost money. Something she was at a loss on how to earn. Gabe turned onto a street called "Almond Grove" and hurried down the pale sidewalk to a diner, watching her dark, pointed boots clack against the ground. The diner was small and had a vintage feel to it. The walls were black marble, with intentional cracks that were filled with gold with windows that were tinted blue and the black of the walls seeped over into the glass in the shape of ivy that swirled nicely around the edges. On one of the panes at the entrance was a sign, in beautiful curved letters, wrote: Solmen. The light, aqua blue glass was like a one way mirror. Gabriella could see nothing on the inside, but as she walked in, she turned and watched some pedestrians pass by. She liked this.

"Well hello there…" called a kind voice. Soft jazz played in the background. Gabriella looked away from the window and to a tall, thin man with smooth raven black hair and gentle chocolate eyes. Gabriella returned his welcome with a smile.

"Hi…uh…" Gabe could feel her cheeks start to heat up as the older man looked down at her. By the wrinkles on his forehead and under his eyes, she guessed he was in his later forties or early fifties. Gabriella took a deep breathe and went up to the white marble counter that the man stood behind. He was rubbing a shining glass with a plain rag. "My name's Gabriella and I was wondering if…the job opening here was still available." She tried to look confident and older then she was.

"The job?" The man smiled his soft smile and nodded. "Yes it is," He looked her up and down thoughtfully. "The owner, Mr. Solmen, owns this place and I'm Harry Kutou and I run it alone. The job would consist of waitering and making food and drinks for the customers." Gabriella nodded. "It's not all that hard, but may I ask," Mr. Kutou paused. "How old are you my dear Gabriella?"

"I-I'm," Gabe stammered and let out a small sigh. "I'm sixteen,"

"Sixteen, my." The Kutou looked her up and down once more. "You look much older."

"It's the lack of sleep…" Gabe mumbled, rubbing the small bags that were forming under her eyes. Mr. Kutou let out a small chuckle and sighed.

"Well…I do need the extra help and no one seems to want to work in a place like this nowadays." He folded his arms. Gabriella looked at him and let her eyes wonder over his skinny arms hidden under a black turtleneck shirt.

'_He's so…odd…'_ She thought. _'I wonder if he's gay…'_

"Not even my wife will come and help me out," Kutou muttered.

'_Nope, just crazy.'_ Gabriella cleared her mind.

"Alright, you've got the job." Harry smiled and tilted his head, smiling cheerfully.

'_..That poor…poor woman.'_ Gabe gave a nervous smile and bowed in gratitude, though unfortunately, she hadn't realized how close she was to the counter, and hit her head.

Mr. Kutou blinked in shock and covered his mouth with his wrinkled hand. "Are you alright?!" He asked.

"Y-yeah…I –uh—always hit my head." Gabe blushed. Kutou let out a breath and put his hand on his heart. "Good! Come to the back and I'll show you what you'll be doing and give you your uniform." Gabriella nodded and quickly followed, trying not to fall on the glossy black floor.


	2. Silenced

Crows on Fire

Gabriella poured some hot tea into an expensive glass and hurriedly walked it over to a table where a man in a brown trench coat sat, looking impatient.

"Here you are…." Gabe mumbled, trying to be polite. The man grunted in response and picked his cup up. Gabriella turned around, and then went back to the front counter. The Solmen diner was not very busy. It fished up a good enough amount of money that it was still in business, but on chilly days like today, most people could rather run home.

Gabe looked out the one way glass of the diner. She really liked this advantage over the police. After her parents had found out about her powers, it seemed like the whole world had turned against her. Police chased her, people stepped away or ran like she carried a plague. Now she was off in another city in New Japan, and hope to God that the police would give up their search, though she knew it was unlikely. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned her head. Mr. Kutou smiled and handed her a cup of tea. "You should take your break now, Miss Gabriella." Gabe retired her straight black hair and went to one of the white tables.

Gabriella walked down the stairs of Solmen's diner carrying a box of teabags that had just been delivered. She shivered in her black button up shirt. It wrapped around her neck and showered about an inch and a half of her pale stomach. Gabe was grateful for the long pants.

She put the box in the corner and wiped her forehead. She looked at her watch. It was 7:47 – time to go home. Gabe headed back up the stairs when she heard Mr. Kutou came rushing down. His forehead showed more wrinkles then normal and his normal smile was gone.

"Quickly Miss Gabriella," He pulled her back into the cellar. "You must leave," Gabe blinked and looked at him.

"W-why?" She muttered nervously.

"There are some people looking for you, policemen I presume." He smiled, but Gabe could tell it was forced.

"Police?"

"Yes, I'll distract them while you get away," He looked at her. "It'll be fine. They'll leave after I told them you went home, and you'll be able to get out of here." Gabriella looked around fearfully.

"B-but you'll…" Gabriella was cut off as he pushed her urgently out the door and into the back alleyway. Harry Kutou smiled.

"Now – run up the road and try to catch a train-way." He pulled out his wallet and gave her all the money he had inside. Gabe didn't both to count it then. She shoved it in her pocket and started out of the alley. She stopped and looked back at the door as she heard Mr. Kutou run back upstairs. She paused.

'_Maybe I should wait till I make sure he's ok…'_ Gabriella reached for the doorknob – then stopped as she heard a scream, and then gun shots.


	3. Trains

**A/N: Yay! Chapter three .0 after like...a year U Heh!**

Crows on Fire

Crows on Fire

Gabe stalked down the street, hugging herself against the chilly air. She felt like she had been badly slapped in the face. Her stomach churned with every step and she struggled to keep from crying. Mr. Kutou was, no doubtable, dead, and it was all because of her. All because she had to be different from everyone else. It made her stomach hurt even more to know the fact that human beings would kill someone, or someone close to, a different person; someone who had a disability or a defect about them. She had never hurt anyone. The only reason anyone even knew about her powers was because she had lit the stove because it wouldn't light.

Gabriella turned onto a main street and raced up the hill. She ran into another alley way, down Apple Lane and then into a small apartment complex where she was staying. The room was not very big but the rent was low. She pulled out her black duffle bag and shoved all the clothes she had into it. Gabe shakily went to her top dresser drawer and pulled out a maroon, velvet bag of money that she put into the bag alone with some food from her small fridge then changed into her black pants that were three sizes to big, and a black tank top. Gave through over a long trench coat and buttoned it up. She shook her hands roughly, trying to get the trembling out of them. She took a few breathes and calmed down, at least enough to walk straight. After she had finished packing, Gabriella grabbed her duffle bag and ran out. She raced up the street and went to the train boarding where Mr. Kutou had said to go. Gabe put her long fingers up to the handle and pulled with all her body weight, and finally the large wooden doors came open with a _Sccreeeecchhhh._ She flinched at the high pitched noise and jumped inside. Gabe watched her air turn white in the cold night and quickly shut the door. She panted, her breath turning to steam, and went over to the pile of boxes that were stacked up. Gabe hid behind them, shivering like mad.

She coughed hoarsely. "Not what I need…" Her teeth chattered. "I don't want to be sit and on my own…" An idea caught her. She focused on a small leaf that had floated in from her shoe and it caught fire. She jumped. She put her stuff down and stood and slyly peeked out. She jumped out and grabbed a few good sized sticks before going back inside the train compartment. She put the sticks in a small circle around her and lit each one, making sure to only get the stick. Her body began to warm. Gabe pulled off her black, large coat and draped it over her. She let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes, using the duffle bag as a pillow.  
Slowly, and finally peacefully, Gabriella was able to fall asleep with the rocking of the train, off to find a new town where she could live for a short time.


	4. The Wind

Crows on Fire

Crows on Fire

Gabriella had made a decision. On the three day train ride away from New Japan in the middle of August she had realized that she could not be the only one out there. The only "witch" – as they called it – in the whole world, and she thought, maybe there's more HERE, in New Japan. In the beginning she had planned to leave New Japan all together, but then that would mean the other witches were staying single. Now as she walked down a half lit car tunnel, she thought of how to bring the witches together so they could band together. The up side was that maybe, just maybe, witches could prove that their powers were helpful and people would be less afraid of them (though Gabe doubted that a lot of people knew about witches in the first place). The down side was, if the witches got the idea to band together, would they rebel and use their powers to destroy?

No one knew Gabriella in this new town called _Sakuranosono_ and she planned to use this as her advantage. Somehow, she would meet some of the witches in this area and see how they were like. She couldn't have been the only good witch, right?

Gabriella looked up at the sky. It was starting to clear up. It had rained on the way here. She let out a relieved sigh and took out her pouch of money. She stopped at a crosswalk, watching a few swift cars race by and pulled out the Butsuyoku. Gabe trotted around the street along with three other men and one other woman.

They all split off in the three different directions that they had, on the other side and Gabriella wondered how she'd even FIND witch. What if that man in the man in the grey business suit and maroon tie was a witch; or the woman with a purple dress carrying her brown bag? She decided to wing it and followed the lady, who was already in front of her. Gabe kept a steady pace, not wanting to give her self away.

The wind picked up, swirling the woman's brunette hair around like whips. Gabriella's sea blue eyes watched as the woman's hair floated around like a dust devil before dying down and landing gracefully one her shoulders. The woman looked to be in her late thirties. Gabriella followed the woman into a gloomy alleyway to what looked like to be the woman's house.

Cement buildings squared them in. The one that the woman walked to was grey, as all the others were, with beautiful blankets hanging off the balcony. Clothes lines hung up into the sky, waving in the light breeze, yet no one was around, spare from them. The woman turned around, making Gabriella jump.

"What is it that you want?" The woman asked. Now that she was facing her, Gabe could see that the woman's face had deep circles under her eyes, making her look much older then thirty.

Gabriella's stomach tightened. Maybe she had made a mistake. She straightened, trying not to give her fear away to easily though she knew it was hopeless. "I uh…" She blushed. The wind picked up. Gabe could have sworn that it was tugging at her throat.

"Are you from the government?" Ask the woman, glaring.

"N-" Before Gabriella could finished, the wind began to swirl around the woman, making her hair and dress come to life. The woman raised a bony hand and the air around Gabriella began to constrict upon her. Gabe's eyes shot open. She tried to hit away at the invisible hands that were choking her as her vision began to blur. Then – everything went black.

( Butsuyoku is the new word for money. It means greed for material things and in New Japan, the "government" ( dictators) call it Butsuyoku)


End file.
